On Tuesday June 30th, I was one of many who attended the TD Canada Trust Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival to hear The Roots live. What a treat! Many had shown up since 7pm to guarantee themselves a spot front row by the stage… by 9pm the crowd was ready to bounce. Soon enough, the familiar sight of Black Thought and ?uestlove and the rest of the crew just got everyone hyped.

Without much delay, they got things started. They played some new joints and some classic ones… I thoroughly enjoyed Damon “Tuba Gooding Jr.” Bryson’s sousaphone playing. He made it seem so simple and fun! The two-hour concert without intermission was exactly what I needed after having seen Gil Scott-Heron and Common in NYC a few days before. The vibes just meshed quite nicely.

Here are but a couple of images to share with you. The video I took lacks in the sound department but you are welcomed to check it out here. The only thing I’d have to say is that for future concerts like this one, an opening local act would be a great idea. Overall, I had such a great time…